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The alliance's third UK member is a different type of race track, with the home of Royal Ascot becoming the latest to sign up with OVG
By Jon Chapple on 09 Dec 2019
Oak View Group (OVG) has welcomed Ascot Racecourse, the iconic British horse racing venue, as the fourth member of its International Venue Alliance.
Ascot – best known for its annual Royal Ascot event and close ties with the royal family – is also used for banqueting, exhibitions, conferences and commercial launches, hosting more than 600,000 visitors annually. It is the third UK-based member of the International Venue Alliance and fourth overall, alongside Silverstone Circuit, the NEC Group and Germany’s D.Live.
Ascot (pictured) says its membership of the association will focus on gaining international sponsors for the venue.
Juliet Slot, chief commercial officer at Ascot Racecourse, comments: “We’re delighted to have joined the OVG International Venue Alliance, and we’re looking forward to having OVG as a strategy partner to attract international sponsors to Ascot and also to working with the other like-minded members to share best practices of being a world-leading venue.”
“There is no better venue in their industry for brands to align”
The alliance is modelled on OVG’s Arena and Stadium Alliance, an invitation-only partnership of 28 arenas in North America. Arena and Stadium Alliance members benefit from global sponsorship opportunities, additional events and content, and “efficiencies of scale that are otherwise only available to large groups”, according to OVG.
Oak View Group, a venue development, advisory and investment company co-founded by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and ex-Live Nation chairman Irving Azoff, launched its London-based overseas division, OVG International, at ILMC in March. The first OVG International project, Santa Giulia Arena in Milan, was announced in June as a joint venture with Live Nation, and the company is also consulting on plans for an arena in Manchester, UK.
Commenting on the Ascot partnership, Sam Piccione, OVG’s international president, says: “Ascot is one of the world’s best-loved venues, and we’re proud to have them as the newest International Venue Alliance member. It is an honour to be an extension of Juliet Slot’s commercial team as we will help grow their partnership line-up via our international network.
“Having been to Royal Ascot and numerous other horse-racing events at Ascot this past year, there is no better venue in their industry for brands to align [with] and we can’t wait to get started.”
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